Semaphore



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1" s. H. HARRINGTON.

SEMAPHORE. No. 304,928. Patented Sept. 9, 1884-.

By CAM 6.44am

Attqrney.

(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. H. HARRINGTON.

, v SEMAPHORE. No. 304,928. PatentedSept. 9,1884.

' WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

Attorney.

. and its appendages.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL H. HARRINGTON, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

SEMAPHORE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 304,928, datedSeptember 9, 1884.

. Application filed May 26, 1884. (No model.)

phore for railroads; and it consists in certain features of constructionand combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a view.

of the semaphore and operators house. Fig. 2 is a top view of thesemaphore. Fig. 3 is a View of the mirror detached from the ladder.Figs. 4 and 5 are views of one of the arm-plates Fig. 6 is a view of thecenter plate. Fig. 7 is a view, enlarged scale, of the elastic cushionand its pocket. Figs. 8 and 9 are views of the pulley-pocket. is a viewof the ladder.

The letter A designates the post; B and G, the arms, and B and O theglass lens. One arm and one lens on each side of the post turn on thesame pivot. It will be understood that the normal position of both armsand lenses is on a line projected horizontally front the post, and thisposition of the arm by day and the lens by night comprises the dangersignal or the stop-signal. When the arm is turned down to a vertical ornearly vertical position, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1, it isdesigned as the signal to approaching trains that the road is open andthat the train may proceed.

The arm-plates E have a hole, I), for the pivotbolt b, and on the innerside, or that side which sets next to the post, has a recess, a, aboutthe pivot-hole, which receives the center plate attached to the post.ral shape of this recess is circular, to admit of its turning about thecenter plate. Two shoulders, c, on the rim of the circular recessproject inward. The space on the rim between its two shoulders comprisesonefourth of the circle. As the arm-plate turns, these come in contactwith the stops 0 on the center plate. The arm-plate carries thecounter-weight d, having an oval shape; but it may have any other givenshape by forming acore Fig. 10

The geneor hollow space, d, at the top. (See Fig. 4.)

The heaviest part of the weight comes at the bottom or below the pivotI). By this construction of counter-weight, while a uniform shape ispreserved for all the weights, the center of gravity of each, instead ofbeing in the center of the body, is located toward one of the long ends,whereby, when the signal arm is brought down to a perpendicular, ornearly perpendicular, position, the heaviest part of the weight willstand off or be at one side of a straight line drawn lengthwise throughthe said arm and through the pivot, from which fact the weight willexert a greator influence or leverage, tending to restore the arm to thehorizontal position. If, therefore, the rope or any of the ropeconnections from the handle a to the arm-plate should break, thesigualarms will be at once brought up to a horizontal position, thusassuring the presentation of the stop-signal, the heavy part of theweight at the same time reaching aposition where it exerts lessinfluence to rotate the arm, and consequently when stopped occasionsless shock or concussion.

A center plate, F, (see Figs. 5 and 6,) is firmlyattached on each sideof the post A. It has a center hole, I), for the passage of thepivot-bolt b, a vertical side against which the recess 0 of thearm'plate bears, and two stops, 6, one projecting on the upper rim, andthe other diametrically opposite on the lower rim. The two shoulders c011 the arm-plate move between the two stops 0 on the center plate, and,as before stated, the shoulders come in contact with the stops. By thismeans the armplate is limited to a one-quarter turn.

- To prevent concussion or strain on the parts when the arm is broughtto a horizontal position by the action of the counter-weight, an elasticor cushioned stop is provided. This consists of a pocket, f, projectingfrom the center plate with a tubular rubber cushion, f, in the pocket.(See Fig. 7.) The height of the cushion or the'extent to which itprojects above is regulated by washers gset in the bota stop-lug, f castintegral therewith. When the arm comes to a horizontal position, thestop-lug strikes the cushion f just before the upper shoulder 0 comes incontact with the upper stop 0. A grooved pulley, h, is formed around thecircular recess 0 on the arm-plate.

The rope ioccupies this groove and extends to the operators house. Thisrope is fastened to the groove-pulley as follows: Aweb,z",is cast acrossthe pulleygroove, (see FigsA and 5,) and ahole, i is made in the web.The end of the rope 'i is passed through the hole and then knotted. Theknot is then drawn up against the web, and the rope lies over the top ofthe pulley, from whence it hangs down and extends to the operatorshouse. The direction of the rope is changed from the vertical to thehorizontal (see Figs. 1, 8, and 9) by a pulley, G, on the side of thepost. A pulley-pocket consisting of a rectangular frame, I, is placedagainst the post A. A hole is made in two sides of the frame for thebolt k, and the pulley occupies the pocket-space vbetween the four sidesof the frame, and turns on the same bolt is that binds the pocket to thepost.

In this description only one side of the somaphore and means to operateone arm are mentioned; but by reference to Fig. Sit will be seen the onebolt, k, holds a pulley-pocket, I, on each or two opposite sides of thepost. One pulley serves for the rope of one arm and the opposite one forthe rope of the other arm. The rope passes into the operators house,where it is attached to one arm of abell-crank lever, L, over the deskor above the seat of the operator. A handle, a, depends from the otherarm of the lever. By drawing on the handle the signal-arm may be broughtdown to a nearly vertical position, as indicated in Fig. 1 by brokenlines.

The lantern P is placed on a bracket at one side of the post, and hasposition between the two lenses B C. One lens, 13, is fixed in thecenter of the counter-weight, as in Fig. 1, and the other lens, 0, isfixed in the arm-plate, as in Fig. 4. This diiference in the position ofthe lenses is necessary to bring both of thenr alongside of the samelantern.

A ladder, It, is attached to the post. The ends of the upright bars arecurved to a horizontal position, and are bolted to the post. The rungs sconsist of bars whose ends t are bent at a right angle, (see Fig. 10,)and take on the outer side of the upright bars. Thus constructed asingle bolt or rivet, u, will secure each end and make the rungspermanent. The ladder is cheap and strong and serves to approach thelantern.

In order to enable the operator to know while in his house whether ornot the lantern is lighted, Iprovide a mirror, '0, and attach it to theladder or to the post, as may be most convenient. The mirror is pitchedat an angle of forty-five degrees, and the rays of light coming downfrom the lantern through holes in its bottom provided for the purposeare reflected by the mirror and directed into the operators house. Ahole in the post (indicated at w by broken' lines in Fig. 1,) allows thereflected rays to pass. The mirror may be detached and taken in duringthe day.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States 1. In a semaphore, the combination of afixed center plate, F, having two stops, 6, one diametrically oppositethe other, and the signal-arm plate having a pivot-hole and a recess onits side about the said hole which receives the center plate, andprovided with two shoulders, c, the space between which comprises onefourth of a circle, as set forth.

2. In a semaphore, the combination of a fixed center plate, F, having acenter hole, I), and provided with a projecting pocket, f, containing anelastic cushion, f and a signal-arm plate having a pivot hole, andprovided with a stop-lug, f adapted to strike the said elastic cushion,and a counter-weight, and a pivotbolt, I), passed through both centerplate and signal-arm plate, as set forth.

. 3. In a semaphore, the combination of a pivoted signal-arm, a platefixed to the supporting-post, and providedwith a pocket, and a tubularelastic cushion in the pocket which the said arm strikes when inoperation, as set forth.

4.. In a semaphore, the combination of a fixed center plate, F, having acenter hole, I),

and avertioal side bearing, a signal-arm plate having a pivot-hole, acircular recess about the said hole, and a grooved pulley, h, around therecess, a pivot-bolt, I), passed through both center plate andarm-plate, and a rope fastened to the grooved pulley,- as set forth.

5. The'combination, in asemaphore having a pivoted signal-arm, of acounter-weight having an oval or other given symmetrical shape, cored orhollowed out, substantially as described, to bring its center of gravitybelow the pivot, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a semaphore, the combination of a 'post, a signal lens and lanternmounted on the post, handles for operating or shifting the lens, and amirror placed at an angle to reflect the rays of light from the lanternto the position where the operating-handles are located, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL H. HARRINGTON. Witnesses:

C. O. CORNER, E. A. Dawson.

